26 | A Clown's Take on Gender (Euphoria) with Theatre Maker Ania Upstill

Living in human bodies in contemporary society means all of us have to engage with gender in some capacity. Woman, man, trans person, non-binary, gender-free… moving through the world means navigating and/or disrupting societal gender norms. And how cool would it be if we could all walk around feeling not just comfortable with our gender but downright euphoric about it?!Today’s guest helps us think about gender with a bit of playfulness and a lot of curiosity. Performer, theater artist, educator, and clown Ania Upstill (they/them) shares their experience with gender identity, perfectionism, and the radical value of being deeply present. They also share how clowning can be a practice for life for mental and cognitive health, and as a form of mindfulness infused with childlike wonder. What’s not to like about that?!And! The sticker giveaway continues. Leave a rating or review, take a screenshot, and send it to me at cate [at] settlingisbullshit.com, and I will send you stickers!Connect with AniaVisit their website: https://www.aniaupstill.com/Follow them on Instagram @butchmermaidResources, References, and Links“Transhumance: A clown’s journey through gender” – Ania’s performance at the Kennedy Center in June of 2024. Highly recommend. Well worth 55 mins of your time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxKepAXNan0Trans – latin root: “through, across, or beyond.”Commedia Dell’arte. In case you want a more detailed explanation: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/comm/hd_comm.htmLecoq School. The physical theater tradition that Ania mentions: https://www.ecole-jacqueslecoq.com/?lang=enShakespeare at Winedale. An original practice Shakespeare in performance program outside of Austin, Texas where Ania and I met in 2009. https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/winedale/Pronouns! As I was editing this episode, I got an email from someone in the Portland Parks & Recreation department who had a link to this article included in her email signature – which both made my heart happy and seemed like a nudge from the universe to include it in the show notes. “Why do I list my pronouns?” https://www.portland.gov/parks/pronounsLaughter Yoga (is apparently a totally real thing!) https://www.laughteryoga.org/Botox. I did actually google what Botox is, and I’m just going to leave this quote from the Mayo Clinic that the core component of Botox “is made from the same toxin that causes a type of food poisoning called botulism.”https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/botox/about/pac-20384658Gender affirming care. What it is and why it matters: https://www.hrc.org/resources/get-the-facts-on-gender-affirming-care